A focused answer makes a claim, supports it with a short piece of evidence from the text, and then explains how the evidence proves the claim. Repeat this three-part pattern for each point.
This lesson is part of SPM subjects and learning resources. The texts and ideas come from your course, so this page only teaches you how to arrange them.
What makes an answer focused?
A focused answer responds to the exact words of the question and nothing else. If the question asks for a reason, every paragraph should give a reason.
Before you write, underline the command word and the topic word in the question. The command word says what to do, such as explain or compare, and the topic word says what to do it to.
The claim, evidence, explanation routine
Build each point in three sentences.
- Claim. A direct answer to the question, in your own words.
- Evidence. The shortest piece of the text that supports the claim.
- Explanation. One sentence saying how that evidence shows the claim is true.
Put the strongest or most basic point first. Stop when you have covered what the marks ask for.
Worked example: one paragraph, labelled
This practice passage is original. Imagine a text that says: “A person who keeps a promise even when it costs them builds trust in a community.” The question: “Explain why keeping promises matters in a community.”
- Claim: Keeping promises matters because it builds trust between people.
- Evidence: The text says it “builds trust in a community”.
- Explanation: This shows that trust is the result of reliable behaviour, so a community where promises are kept can depend on its members.
Each sentence has one job. The evidence is only five words long, and the explanation uses the question’s own word, community, to stay on topic.
The mistake to watch for
A frequent slip is the quote list: three or four quotations placed one after another with words such as “also” and “furthermore”. The student has done the searching, but the marker has to supply the reasoning.
| Quote-list answer | Focused answer |
|---|---|
| Long quotation, no comment | Short quotation, then an explanation sentence |
| Evidence unrelated to the exact question | Evidence chosen after underlining the question |
| Points in no particular order | Points ordered from basic to developed |
Always write the explanation sentence. If you cannot write it, the quote does not belong in your answer.
Selecting the right evidence
Scan the text with the question in front of you. Mark two or three candidate pieces, then choose the one whose wording matches the question most closely.
Prefer evidence you can explain in one sentence. If it needs three sentences of background, it is probably not the best choice for a timed answer.
The structured answer self-review tool helps you check each point for a claim, a piece of evidence and an explanation, on your own device.
Check yourself
Using the same original passage, a question asks: “Explain one way the text shows that promises affect trust.” Write one point using claim, evidence and explanation.
Answer
A sample answer: The text shows that promises affect trust because trust grows when a promise is kept. It says keeping a promise “builds trust in a community”. This shows that trust depends on people doing what they said they would do, even when it is difficult.
Check three things: the claim answers the question directly, the quotation is short, and the last sentence explains the link instead of repeating the quote.
What to study next
Good evidence also depends on knowing the concepts precisely. If two ideas still blur together, go to distinguishing related concepts in a prescribed text.
If you want a teacher to read your paragraphs and show you where the explanation is missing, see online one-to-one Turath Dirasat Islamiah tuition. The one-hour trial class (from RM50) is a real lesson, and you can use it to work on one of your own answers.